How are service users instructed to measure home furniture for provision of minor assistive devices?

Figures & data

Figure 1. Percentage of downloads for requests for information on furniture.

Table 1. Outline of survey questions.

What area of practice are you working in?

Are you currently using written guidance for provision of minor assistive devices/technology used in bath, toilet, bed, chair and stair transfers?

When was your guidance written?

How was the guidance developed/

Who was involved?

Has it been evaluated?

Is the guidance fit for purpose?

Table 2. Synthesis of Measurement Guidance Leaflets.

		How measurement taken
Furniture	Furniture height	Person present	Aspects about the furniture	Environment	Additional measurement
Bed	Measure the height from the floor to the top of the mattress when depressed as though someone were sitting on the edge of the bed (Guidance 1)	Measure the height from the floor to the top of the mattress when depressed with the patient sitting on the edge of the bed (Guidance 2, 3, 5, 6) Hips higher than knees (Guidance 2) With the patient seated, knees and ankles at 90°, measure from the floor to the back of the knee (popliteal fossa). The difference in height measurement is the recommended height for raising (Guidance 6)	Is the bed single or double (Guidance 7)  How many leg castors (Guidance 5, 7)	Location of bed upstairs/downstairs (Guidance 5)
Toilet	Measure the distance from the floor to the rim of the toilet bowl (Guidance 6) Measure the distance from the floor to the toilet seat (Guidance 2,3) Height of the toilet (with seat up) (Guidance 5)	With patient seated, measure the floor to back of knee (popliteal fossa). (Guidance 6, 8) Measure the distance between the floor and the back of the thigh, just behind the knee (Guidance 9)	Type of aids used to assist by the toilet? (Guidance 5) Adaptive equipment, e.g., raised toilet seat (Guidance 5)	Location of toilet upstairs/downstairs (Guidance 5)	Add 2″ for patients following a hip replacement (Guidance 6) Some people who have reduced range of movement at the knee or hips may require 2.5cm added to this height (Guidance 8)
Chair	For chairs measure the height from the floor to the top of the seat when it is depressed as if someone were sitting in the chair (Guidance 1, 5, 10)	With the patient seated, knees and ankles at 90°, measure from the floor to the back of the knee [popliteal fossa] (Guidance 6, 10, 11, 12, 13) Feet flat on the floor (Guidance 10, 11, 12) Before you measure ensure the person is seated in a midline position with feet supported and ankles, knees and hips at approximately 90 degrees. Check their pelvis is level as this could affect seat height measurement (Guidance 10)	Type of chair legs: casters, wooden blocks, size of blocks, straight (Guidance 3, 5) Style of Chair (Guidance 3, 5)	Type of chair legs: casters, wooden blocks, size of blocks, straight, Style of Chair: Armchair (Guidance 3, 5) Measure using shoes worn around the home (Guidance 1, 10)	Add additional 2″ for patients following hip replacement (Guidance 6) Add 2″/5cm each side, to allow for comfort when measuring seat width (Guidance 10)
Bath	No relevant information
Stair rail height		Person present	Aspects regarding stair rail
		They should be placed at height consistent with the measurement taken from the person (floor to ulna styloid when arm is down by side) (Guidance 14) Handrails should be positioned to follow the pitch of the staircase, at a height to suit the user’s needs but which shall be between 900 mm and 1000 mm measured vertically from the pitch line of the steps (Guidance 13)	Usually a second stair rail is fitted parallel to the existing rail. (14, 15) Where space allows, the handrail should be allowed to continue past the top step by up to 300 mm (16)

Table 3. Response rates from clinical area.

Physical		Mental health		Other		Community
Acute physical	42	Acute mental health	28	Research	1	Paediatrics	5
		Drug and alcohol	1	Corporate	1	Housing	1
Neurology	20	Eating disorders	1	Occupational therapy (other)	2	Intervention services	1
Paediatric therapy	4	Forensic	3			Learning difficulties	6
Physical rehabilitation	37	Older People	5			Neurorehabilitation	3
Rapid response intervention	2	Liaison psychiatry	1			Community (general)	1
Rheumatology	3	Rehabilitation: mental health	5			Pain management	1
Palliative care	4	Community mental health	59			Physical disability	52
Hand therapy (outpatients)	1					Social services	39
Total	113		103				109

Table 4. Response rates from survey.

Area of practice developed for	Acute Medline N = 2	Social services N = 7	Community N = 1
Guidance used in other area	Yes N = 4	No N = 4
When written	2008 N = 8	2011 N = 1
When reviewed	2004 N = 4	2013 N = 1
How guidance developed	Do not know N = 5	Expert opinion N = 2	Experience N = 2
Who was involved in development	Therapists N = 5	Do not know N = 4
Guidance evaluated	Yes N = 4	No N = 6
Easy to use	Very much N = 4	Good use N = 1	Fair use N = 4	Not at all N = 1
Fit for purpose	Very much N = 3	Good use N = 1	Fair use N = 2	Some use N = 1
Accessible to service users?	Very much N = 1	Good use N = 1	Fair use N = 1	Some use N = 3	Not at all N = 3